Not Fade Away
by Purple Astro1
Summary: Semi-demi-hemi sequel to The Winner Takes it All. Sora's having trouble letting go...
1. Not Fade Away

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Not Fade Away

This is a demi-hemi-semi sequel to my song-fic trio, so you might want to read it first. In case you don't, here's a quick summary:

Have to put it far enough down that you don't accidentally read it if you'd prefer to read the fics.

FIC 1: Sora leaves Matt for Tai. He's very upset and while he's standing on a bridge thinking about it, the rail breaks and he falls.

FIC 2: Sora and everyone finds out about Matt.

FIC 3: Matt appears to Sora and asks her not to mourn him. He promises to always be with her.

This fic follows on from that, but I wasn't sure how it would come out, so I didn't put it in as a chapter. R'n'R, please!! Enjoy!!!

Not Fade Away

Sora smiled politely to her last customer, one hand on the door. As soon as the woman had left, she closed and locked it, leaning against it with a brief sigh.

"Sora?" Opening her eyes, she forced a smile.

"I'm ok, Biyo, just tired. Do you want to go on up? I'll just finish locking up and be right there." The bird nodded and flew out through the 'Staff Only' door, leaving Sora to slowly tidy around.

Several years after they'd defeated Malomyotismon, Sora was a successful clothes designer. She and Biyomon ran a boutique, though she suspected that without the notoriety of being an original Digidestined she wouldn't be doing nearly so well. As it was, she lived comfortably, if a little reclusively.

"You're just wasting time now." Sora didn't react to the low voice, continuing to put the dresses on the rack back in order. She only stopped when gentle arms encircled her from behind. "Are you ok?" She nodded, turning within the gentle grip to face the owner of the arms. She frowned slightly and pulled away. "What is it?"

"You're not getting older." He laughed softly.

"Did you expect me to? You're not looking so bad yourself, you know." She hit him—not hard—and scowled.

"Don't make fun of me. I don't like it."

"I'm not making fun. Sora, did you expect me to age? It's not something I have much control over."

"You haven't been around lately." He dipped his head slightly, acknowledging the change of subject.

"It's hard to get here."

"Not that hard. You used to always come." He frowned.

"Sora, what's wrong? You never act like this." Sora smiled faintly, her eyes on the 'Staff Only' door in case Biyomon should come and interrupt them.

"Tai."

"Tai?"

"What is it, Kari?" 

"Izzy's here!"

"Izzy." Tai scrubbed his eyes. "Why is Izzy here?"

"He didn't say. Want me to send him away?"

"No, I'm coming." He levered himself out of bed and followed his sister down the short hall, wondering briefly why she was in his apartment until his brain caught up with itself and he remembered that their parents were away.

"Hey, Tai." Izzy greeted him. For once, he didn't have any kind of computer with him.

"Hi…" Tai thought about it for a minute. "Izzy. What's up?"

"Have you seen Sora lately?"

"Sora?" He rubbed the back of his head.

"Sora. Female, wears a hat a lot, you went out with her for a while…"

"Oh, Sora! Sorry, I'm really tired."

"I never would have guessed." Tai attempted to hit him, but he missed by several feet. "So have you?"

"Have I what?" Izzy slammed his head on the table in frustration.

"Here." Kari handed Tai a cup of…something. "Drink that."

"What is it?" Izzy asked quietly, under cover of Tai's drinking it loudly. Kari winked.

"Gah! Kari! I'll be awake all day now!"

"Um, you're supposed to be awake during the day?"

"I've got a meeting tonight, Kari!"

"And now you'll be awake for it." She picked up the cup and left the room.

"Gah…" Tai coughed several times. "What is it, Izzy?"

"Sora! Have you seen her?"

"Sora? Not recently. Actually, not for a few weeks."

"That's more recently than I've seen her. Does she even leave her flat?"

"Not any further than the shop. Biyomon shops for them, I happen to know."

"No one's seen her for ages, Tai. I was talking to Mimi? Sora hasn't even talked to her for ages. We're all getting really worried." Tai nodded slowly.

"I'll go and talk to her, since I'll be awake all day anyway!" _He yelled the last few words, drawing an unmistakable giggle from Kari in the sitting room. A moment later Kari appeared in the doorway, looking very serious._

"Let me come, Tai. Maybe I can talk to her." Tai nodded.

"Leave Agumon and Gatomon here, though." Kari nodded and hurried to her room.

"I'll leave you two to it." Izzy said, getting up.

"I'll call you to tell you how it went." Tai said almost absently.

"Tai?" Izzy hesitated. "I think…you need to forget diplomacy, for today. Sora knows you, she'll know if you're trying that and she won't be happy." Tai nodded again.

"Good idea."

"I could have told you that." Kari said, appearing once again in the door.

"No one asked you." Tai told her, still mad about the drink. 

"You didn't have to." Kari answered. Tai halted, caught by something in her tone. 

"Kari, do you know what's wrong with Sora?"

"No."

"Do you have an idea?"

"Yes."

"Tell me?" She shook her head.

"It's not mine to tell, Tai. Sora has to tell you herself."

"Tai? What about _Tai?"_

"He called, a few days ago. Biyo took the call…"

"And?" he prompted her.

"He wanted to go out. Have lunch, or dinner, or something. See a film, catch up on old times."

"So?"

"I don't love him."

"I don't think he loves you, either, not any more. They're worried about you, Sora, I've been watching. When was the last time you stood outside?" He took her hand, pulling her lightly towards the door. She stood, refusing to move.

"I don't like it out there. What do I need out there anyway? My customers come here, you come here…"

"Your friends are out there."

"My friends?" she repeated. "You mean Tai? He's not my friend, he wants to date me. To date me." Her voice rose. "Do you know how long it's been since…"

"Of course I do." he cut her off. "Over five years." 

"Yesterday." she corrected him. "In my heart, it was yesterday."

"Then your heart needs updating." Whatever she might have said to that was lost as there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Tai. Can I come in?"

"Tai? What do you want?"

"You didn't return my calls, I was worried." Sora paused, hearing a whisper of sound from outside.

"Who else is there?"

"Kari." Sora glanced up and said softly, "What should I do?"

"Let them in."

Tai fidgeted uncomfortably. 

"What's taking her so long?" he muttered, glancing at his watch for the umpteenth time. Kari shrugged. 

"Maybe she's looking for the key." There was a rattle and the door opened about four inches.

"What do you want?"

"Can I come in?"

"N…yes." She closed the door again, took the chain off, and let them in. Tai gave the room a once-over before turning to Sora.

"Are you all right, Sora?"

"Of course I'm all right." She busied herself with re-locking the door. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You won't talk to any of us."

"I'm busy, Tai. The store takes a lot of time, y'know?"

"We're all busy, Sora. We still make _time for each other."_

"It's not like I'm doing it on purpose." Kari tuned out the argument, letting her gaze roam over the store. Something was tugging at her senses, trying to make itself heard. Following it, she wandered through the racks and shelves. 

"Kari, what are you doing?" The sharp tone in Sora's voice brought her back to reality.

"Just looking." Tai cleared his throat.

"Kari, your Crest…" She glanced down and realized that it was glowing slightly.

"Oh. Sorry." She looked up again and saw that Sora's two Crests were both glowing, though Tai's wasn't. "Sora, what's happening?"

"I don't…they do that, sometimes. You've seen it."

"The last time they did that Matt came…Matt came." She repeated it slowly, eyes narrowing.

"What are you talking about?" Tai asked. Kari had never told anyone what had happened that evening in the cemetery; obviously, Sora hadn't either.

"Kari!" Sora hissed.

"What? I haven't told anyone."

"Told us what?"

He was standing on the other side of 'Staff Only', listening carefully. 

Tell him, Sora, please…I didn't mean this to happen…please, tell them. Let them in.

__

Kari held Sora's gaze. Sora found herself unable to look away from the younger girl.

"You should tell him." The Child of Light's voice was quiet.

"I don't want to."

"I think you need to." Sora broke the eye contact, moving fretfully away.

"But…he'll go away."

"Nothing you could tell me could make me go away." Tai's voice was unusually serious.

"Not you. Matt."

Yes…thank you, Sora…

__

"Matt?" Tai glanced at Kari. "Sora…Matt's dead."

"I know that. But…he comes, sometimes, to see me…He promised he would."

"No." Kari shook her head. "He promised to be with you, but not like this. Sora, not like this."

"Kari?" Tai said quietly. Kari rapidly explained what had happened that night five years ago.

"He comes here?" Tai asked Sora, who nodded, looking suddenly tired.

"He was here tonight, until you came."

"He's still here," Kari corrected her gently, "and you know it, Sora. Where is he?" Unable to help herself, Sora pointed quietly to the 'Staff Only' door, and the three Digidestined watched as it opened.

"Matt!" Tai took a shuddering step backwards; Matt's face darkened as he saw that. Kari, who had never been afraid of him, bowed quietly from where she stood. He smiled briefly before turning to Sora.

"They're right, you know."

"I don't care. _I don't want you to go."_

"I'm not going anywhere, Sora, I'll still be here. But this…they're right. I didn't want it to be like this." He turned to Tai. "Tai?"

"Yeah, Matt." Tai's voice was dry, but he managed to sound halfway normal.

"Stay with her, ok? She…she'll need you."

"Are you going?" Kari asked quietly.

"I have to. I'm only hurting her this way."

"No!" Sora lunged forward, gripping his arm. "Don't go, Matt! Please! I can't take it, not again…"

"Sora, I came back to tell you I was fine. That you needn't mourn me. But you wouldn't let me go. I have to go now, Sora. I'm sorry." He gently took her hand from his arm and moved her into Tai's arms.

"You're good, Matt?" Tai asked softly, holding Sora tightly.

"Yeah. It's all fine, Tai. Really." Tai nodded, readjusting his grip as Sora collapsed against him. Matt stepped backwards, and Kari blinked. He seemed to be going out of focus slightly, as though a mist were coming up between them. Sora saw it too and began crying harder.

"Matt, don't go! Don't fade away, please! Matt, please! Don't fade away!" Matt smiled sadly, but he only went further and further out of focus until he was gone.

"Wow." Tai sucked on his straw, nodding.

"Kari didn't want me to tell you…she thought Sora would be upset…but I thought you should know." He looked around the table; Joe and Izzy sat facing him, and TK was beside him. TK had been unusually quiet during the whole story. "You ok, TK?"

"Yeah, Tai. I'm ok." He took a deep breath. "I saw him once or twice…but in dreams, not really out here."

"You saw him, TK?" Joe said, sitting forward.

"In dreams." TK repeated. "He told me…it's good where he is. He's happy."

"That's what he told me." Tai agreed.

"But he must have told Sora that." Izzy protested.

"He did." Kari slipped into the booth. "She just…wanted him so badly."

"Where is she?" Tai asked. Kari gestured over her shoulder, and they turned as one to see Sora standing, looking hesitantly at them. Joe smiled. 

"Sora! Aren't you coming?" Still hesitant, Sora slid into the booth as well.

"Guys, I'm…"

"Hungry?" Tai interrupted. "So are we all. We were waiting for you to order." Sora smiled, realizing again something she'd always known; between these people, they didn't need words, not really. Some things were just understood.

"Oh yeah." TK made a face. "I hope no one minds, but Davis overheard Kari and I talking, and he sort of invited himself and the others along. They'll be here soon."

"Nah, that's ok." Tai said. "They're part of the group too, after all."

"All we need now is Mimi." Izzy commented.

"Oh yeah? What made you think of her so fast?" Joe teased his friend. Izzy turned a strange shade of red.

"I didn't…you…it's not…she…shut up, Joe!" Everyone laughed.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Tai turned to see Davis and his friends nearby.

"Pull up a booth, guys." He invited them, gesturing the next door booth, which was conveniently empty. The group slid into it, and TK moved in with them to make more room in the first booth.

"So what's the occasion?" Cody asked.

"Yeah, we haven't got together for a while." Yolei agreed. Tai caught Sora's eye and smiled.

"We're celebrating life." he said.

"And friends." Sora agreed.

"Peace." Izzy put in.

"The total lack of evil Digimon anywhere." Joe contributed.

"Family." Kari suggested.

"Our Digimon partners." TK said.

"Prosperity." Yolei offered.

"Everything happening the way it should." Was Cody's contribution.

"I'd like to see you fit *that* in a fortune cookie." Davis muttered. "Um, um, our continued success in our business attempts?" Ken smiled faintly. He'd come to the group late, but he still felt very close to them.

"To the Digidestined, present or not." He said quietly. Everyone raised his or her glass, and they clinked together.

"Here, here!"

The clink of the glasses carried, buoyed by the feelings of Love and Friendship behind it, to the ears of a single watcher.

'Thank you, Sora…for letting me go…'

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Author's notes: I don't own them. Please R'n'R. Look, there's a handy little form right under these words for you to use. Arigato!


	2. He Lives in You

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He Lives in You

It scared me.

And no, I don't mean Kari's emerging ESP…although that is a bit creepy.

I mean Sora.

How badly she must have wanted Matt, to keep him here like that. Even I let him go.

Well…reluctantly, but I did.

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"TK?" TK looked up, startled, at Tai's voice.

"Tai." He slowed his pace, letting Tai catch up. "What're you doing here?"

"Nothing. Got a couple of days off, thought you might like some company."

"Afraid I'll pull a Sora on you?" He grinned. "It's not that, Tai. I just couldn't meet Kari yesterday."

"Or the day before, or two days before that, or a week ago." Tai murmured. The grin fell from TK's face.

"All right, Tai, I get it. But honestly, there's nothing going on. I've just…been busy." 

"With what?" TK groaned inwardly; Tai, for once, had thrown himself into his diplomatic studies with a vengeance. He knew he'd have to be careful what he said.

"It's…tell you what. Come back to the apartment and I'll show you." Catching Tai's hesitation, he added, "Mum's not home."

"All right, but I'm due home in an hour."

"We'll be done. This'll just take a few minutes."

"So what's up?" Tai asked, when they'd settled in the living room. TK pulled out a few sheets of paper, flushing as he did so.

"Well, you know how, when Matt was upset, or he couldn't figure out the right way to say something, he wrote a song about it? I've been kinda upset lately, so I was trying to write one too. But I can't write music…I'm going to ask Ben." Tai nodded; Ben, one of Matt's friends from band, had been keeping an eye on TK, much the same way Tai had.

"Can I see?" TK nodded, holding out the sheets.

"It's a bit funny, but try and picture it with African music. That helps." Tai nodded, already skimming through the paper.

Night

And the spirit of life

Calling

Wait

ThereÆs no mountain too great

Hear the words and have faith

He lives in you

He lives in me

He watches over

Everything we see

Into the water

Into the truth

In your reflection

He lives in you

He lives in you

He lives in me

He watches over

Everything we see

Into the water

Into the truth

In your reflection

He lives in you

He read through it three times before he could put it down, and even then his eyes kept flickering back to it.

"Well? What d'you think?" TK was practically bouncing off the seat, he was so nervous.

"It's great, TK. It's…is that how you feel?"

"Well, it's true, isn't it? He was with Sora for ages, and he told me he wouldn't leave me, either."

"You look like him." Tai murmured, wondering how he'd missed it before. TK was growing to be just like Matt.

"My mom said that a few days ago. That's what made me think of this." He tapped the last couple of lines. "He does watch us, you know." Unconsciously, Tai shuddered briefly at that. TK's face fell again.

"Sorry, TK, I've never been real happy around ghosts. I know it's not quite the same, but…" He shook his head. "Ah, whaddo I know. Never mind me." He rose to his feet before pausing. "TK, can I hang on to a copy of this?" TK blinked.

"Sure, if you want. I'm going to talk to Ben about it, though."

"I think that's a great idea, TK." Tai smiled at the younger boy.

Six months later…

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Tai read the program for the sixth time. For Yamato Ishida, _it read. _The songs he never got to sing. 

__

The concert was a one-of-a-kind, put together to mark the five year anniversary of his death, and the Digidestined were honoured guests. TK was practically biting his nails off with nerves, prompting Davis to throw some not-very-mean remarks at him. 

At the third encore, Ben called TK up on stage.

"We have a special treat for you all! Matt's brother is going to sing a song he wrote in honour of Matt. Can we have quiet for TK, please." TK flushed and grinned all at once.

"I dunno, Ben…think you might be building their hopes up, there…" he turned to appeal to the crowd. "I'm not a song-writer, not like Matt was. But Ben did a fantastic job with the music, so at least that'll be ok. Ok? You ready?" The crowd cheered and whooped, and TK nodded at Ben, who led the band into the song.

Unlike most of their songs, it was a rhythmic song with a lot of vocal improvisation. TK waited for a minute before leading into the words.

Night

And the spirit of life

Calling

Wait

ThereÆs no mountain too great

Hear the words and have faith

He lives in you

He lives in me

He watches over

Everything we see

Into the water

Into the truth

In your reflection

He lives in you

He lives in you

He lives in me

He watches over

Everything we see

Into the water

Into the truth

In your reflection

He lives in you

He had to sing it twice before the crowd would let him off the stage. When he finally made it back to his friends, several of them were in tears; Sora, Mimi, Kari, and he himself. Tai was wiping his eyes every few minutes, and even Davis seemed to be affected by the general air of sorrow.

"That was great, TK." Kari smiled warmly at her boyfriend.

"Yeah, TS. That was really something."

"Ah, a chimp could sing that song. Ben did really good with it." TK demurred.

"No, TK, it was good. Honestly." Izzy told him. "The range of the acoustics was quite pleasing to the ear." TK looked puzzled.

"It sounded good." Yolei translated.

In the end it was Sora who gave him the best compliment of the evening, and she waited for it until after they'd avoided TK's new hordes of screaming fans. When they were dropping her off at her flat, she said quietly, 

"Matt would have liked it."

The End

Legal Disclaimer: Digimon belongs to Saban/Toei. 'He lives in you' belongs, I think, to Tina Turner, and features in 'The Lion King 2'.

Personal Disclaimer: I can't get this series out of my head!


End file.
